Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-04-09
THE FLYING SCUD.

To many persons there are few sensations more
pleasant than that OF rapid motion. AS Arthur
Grsnard belonged emphatically to that class Of
travellers, he invariably made point OF using the
celebrated express train popularity known as the
Tying Scud whenever business or pleasure caused
MIN 10 Journey away rom the quiet little town OF
Blandcombe in which he lived
In this preference he was not alone. for the Fly
Ing Scud was perhaps more used by hrst-cas5
pasSengers-"expreSs" fares Notwithstanding
than any other train on that line; in fact, there
were not q few residents in every county through
With she ran who would almost as soon have
thought OF posting 70 London by road as Of travel
Ing In any other train than the Scud- There was
no other train Ike It. either on that line or on any
other-at least such was the popular oelef
Naturally the officials were very proud OF this,
their premier train, and made no sIuail fuss over
It and all connected with it. Indeed, 1t seemed 20
be religiOusly felt by every one, high and low,
that, although the carriages might be exactly
similar 70 those OF every other express. ana the
engine In respect different, yet Tor the fastest
train the world could show IL was only proper TO
display more zeal than usual in performing even
the commonest OF their duties.
on one hot day in Juy-after Joining the scud az
Winkned, where she had arrived some twen .y
minutes late-Arthur Granart was sitting iazliy
back In f1rst-class compartment, dTe1ulily com.
pairing his fellow-passengers with others OF
pleasant memory. not much 10 tne adV1hta9e vi
those present for on this occasion the other occu
pants OF the carriage seemed 20 MIN oppreSslveiy
duh and commonplace.
asleep was hudded up in the corner on the oppo-
site seat, his back to the engine; schooiooy sat
On Granards right greefiiy deyOuring a .'Midshtp-
man Easy and snoring FFenchman was SUM-
bertng Justify on his left; while the remaining
places on the opposite seat were occupied by q
newly married couple, the most hopeless OF CON-
panions. At least Granard concluded that such
was TIER condition Ior they ooth looked tagged
both seemed ready TO attend lovingly TO anything
the other might say; but the impetuous light OF
wooing and being wooed was no longer In their
eyes, so what could they be but a couple who had
just passed through the perilOuS days OF inter-
dependence peculiar to honeymoon?
The man was O tarne-looSing creature without
single strong feature In his face, unless a thin
sprinkling OF light whiskerS-of the hue vulgarly
dubbed 'ginger"-could be so described.
The wife was better. She was d pretty little
woman OF plump homely type, dressed In clothes
which seemed a little too smart, though her gen.
eral appearance was not altogether unpleas.ng
But conversation was clearly out OF the Ques-
ton with any one OF them. and Granard soon laid
back In his seat with yawn, and presently gave
himself up 70 enjoying To the full what seemed TO
him the best pace he had ever known the train
travel at. He was just about to set himself 10 as
certain the speed by counting the quarter-Inile
posts which the glare OF the midday sun was sud-
denly exchanged for darkness as the Flying scud
dashed into Dorton tunnel
"Dorton Already Didn't think we'd got so far"
he said 10 himself. al haven't noticed the down
IL was usual for the Seud TO pass an express as
speedy as herself before reaching Dorton, and
rapid swishing sound produced as they flashed
past each other.
When the daylight burst in on him again, as
the train rushed madly out into open ground, he
gathered up his newspaper. and was settling down
TO It's contents, when suddenly violent shock,
crashing, grinding, shivering shock, sharply
reused him from nsIessne5s 10 painful in:entness.
The sudden conclusion and the continued violent
motion set him literally dancing on his seat.
lie knew well enough what The cause was. He
was a railway engineer by profession, and derail-
ments on the temporary tramwayS used In rail-
way making were sufficiently frequent 10 have
made him thoroughly familiar with the kind of
shock caused an engine or truck leaving the track.
In an instant he grasped the fact that some part
OF the train had lett the rails, and, conscious OF
the speed at which they were moving, he knew
that terrible crash was imminent and Inevitable.
Shouting 10 his fellow passengers, "Hold on,
every onep' he quickly gr1pped The arm-reSt on
his left with all his strength, Stiffened himself in
his place by placing his feet firmly against the
opposite seat, and threw his right arm across his
chest, elbow outward, 10 protect his faCeas TAR
possible from injury in the coming smash. He
had not prepared himself an instant TOO soon. at
that moment huge portmanteau came crashing
against the dOOr-fraIne. and splash OF other lug
eio,'d or dnst and eoaI. then ierre rI,St Of - hot
steam burst through the open window, covering
them all for moment as II In a black cloud The
Frenchman yelled out fearful oath, The bride
uttered a piercing shrek, and the sehoolboy
screamed and rantically clutched Granard round
the body
Scarcely had the steam covered them when the
carriage received tremendous blow on the right.
which turned ii sharply over on It's side. A yard
or two farther-wlth the carriage being dragged
ulwillingly along In this pOSiLfon-and all was
over; the trains great momentum used I'D,
which not ten seconds before had been piunSing
along full or grace and power, at probably over
rather than under the fayorite pace OF "a mile
minute" lay wrecked and stslled-a center OF
death, suffering and ruin
Granard had wedged himself so tightly into his
seat that when the carriage was overturned he
was not displaced, but the somnolent youth oppo-
site was thrown with great violence directly upon
Arthur Granard'S right elbow, thereby receiving
most pointed rebuke for his i1l-Judged movement.
Dazed with sleep and mad with fright, this worthy
grabbed Granard by the throat and shouted 'Mur-
DER MURDER in the widest manner, at the same
time doing his utmost to strange his supposed an
tagontst. Now, Granard was not particularly pug
nacious or prone 70 take onense but just then he
ingIy resented the liberty. Being OF considerable
strength and stature. and In nrst-rate condition,
snasing The day before won swo-miie sculling;
been in training some SIX weeks or more, he was
soon able TO Tree himself from his fellow passen-
above the elbows and crunching the muscles there
until the hands were pOwerleSS. Then, stepping
across the carriage and standing each foot on an
window, now above them On being shown the
door IN this fashion, new idea seemed to seize on
the eJeeted one, for ne scrambled out and flung
himself down 10 the ground as II a thousand mis-
chiefs were behind him Had he broken a limb in
his haste an enlightened jury would probably
have awarded him heavy damages 90 for injuries
received IN the Long Houghton accident" On
looking down between his legs to see how the
Frenchman had already wriggled out while the
poor little bride was huddled In the corner with
Ecr lUDDcFlv HUSBAND DelpleSSly UPON
her apparently too unneryed TO make any EFFORT TO
geJ OUT. To see him so filled Granard with in
cignant disgust In a moment he reasoned 10
himself that the principle OF Characterization
need not be confined in its application TO mustard
plaster, toothache tincrures, and such like mute
agents but might well be extended for the cure OF
mental paralysis and neryeleSSneSS; that il, like
cures Ike shock might undo mischief shock
had caused Acting or this deduction, he grasped
the hat-railS either side 10 maintain his balance
and then administered 10 the wretcheG husband d
sharp, decisive kick In the back, shouting at the
same time, Hand up that lady!"
The effect was instantaneous He graSped his
partner with sudden energy and promptly passed
her I'D 10 Granard, who had meanwhile forced
open the door 10 allow more room FOR her TO get
OUT. As be lifted her our, and was in the act OF
passing her down TO a gentleman on the ground,
u thought came suddenly into his MIND which
brought his heart into mis- throat and seemed 10
freeze his very blood He remembered the down
express. The down fast had not passed them yet!
lie saw with horror that nearly all the pas
sen2ers were now standing on the down track
He Knew the wreck must have fouled both lines,
What a smash would follow If the coming express
should dash in upon them unchecked! He knew il
was already overdue. Could liz be stopped?
Oh, that IL might be late enough 10 give him
time To try lie sprang forward with q wild alb
sOrbing energy.
He knew that IN the guards van there should
be a bundle OF nagS-red green and white-for use
In emergencies, and these, TO De successful he
must have. Rushing past The carriage In front OF
the one he had leaped from, and round the frame
OF the luggage-yan-now lying across both lines
a complete wreck-he came upon the guard who
strange 10 say, had escaped death. and was then